Check an FSC or PEFC claim on one purchase

The certifications guide names FSC as a product label. This page is the check for one invoice. The office-supplies checklist asks whether the item is needed before you rely on a label.

Fill in the claim check

Download all three files. Type into a copy of the blank file. The spreadsheet does not query a registry.

• Blank check, claim-check-blank.csv
• Instructions, claim-check-instructions.csv
• Fictional example, claim-check-example.csv

item_name is the purchased item named on the invoice or delivery note. claim_text is the FSC or PEFC claim on that same document for that item, such as FSC Mix or a PEFC percentage claim. Leave claim_text blank if the document does not state it. A blank claim stays waiting even when the certificate fields are filled. scheme is fsc, pefc or not_stated. This sheet has no third scheme. document_type is invoice, delivery_note or brochure_only. certificate_type is chain_of_custody, forest_management, promotional_licence, project or not_stated. certificate_code is the chain-of-custody certificate code. Do not enter a trademark licence code in that cell.

FSC UK’s public search lists forest-management, chain-of-custody and project certificates separately from promotional licences. A promotional licence allows off-product trademark use. It does not prove that the item on an invoice was supplied under a chain-of-custody certificate. FSC UK’s purchasing guidance says the invoice or delivery note has to identify the product, the FSC claim and the supplier’s certificate code. PEFC certificate holders are checked on PEFC Find Certified. PEFC’s chain-of-custody standard puts the applicable claim and the supplier’s certificate number on the sales or delivery document. A PEFC trademark licence is not that certificate number. Record registry_checked_on and a registry_result_reference you can find again. registry_status is valid, not_valid or not_checked. scope_covers_item and supplier_matches_holder are yes, no or not_checked.

row_status is ready only when the item and its claim text are filled, the scheme is FSC or PEFC, the code and the supplier’s legal name are filled, the document is an invoice or delivery note, the type is chain of custody, the date and result reference are filled, the registry status is valid, and both scope and supplier match are yes. Anything else is waiting.

For UK government procurers and their suppliers, Defra’s Timber Procurement Policy, last updated 26 November 2025, accepts FSC, PEFC and Grown in Britain as Category A evidence, and it says the evidence has to be checked. A broken chain of custody cannot be described as a certified purchase. Grown in Britain is named there. This sheet does not add a Grown in Britain workflow. The policy is for government procurers and their suppliers. A private buyer is not told that the policy applies to them.

Worked example: fictional paper

The example is fictional. The code EXAMPLE-FSC-0000 is invented. The result reference SIMULATED-NOT-A-LIVE-REGISTRY-RESULT is simulated. Neither code was looked up in a live registry, and this page does not describe the clicks inside either database.

The envelopes row is the reference claim-check:Northgate envelopes:ready used on the office-supplies example. It is ready only inside this fictional example.

Limits

A ready row covers one purchase. It does not authorise a claim that the whole firm is certified. Recycled-plastic percentages belong on the recycled-content evidence log. Before a claim is published, read the green claims code.

Sources

Accessed 9 October 2026.

• FSC UK public search. The certificate search and the promotional-licence search are separate. A promotional licence is for off-product use. No sample code was submitted.
• Choosing FSC-certified products, FSC UK. The invoice or delivery note has to identify the product, the FSC claim and the supplier’s certificate code. No sample code was submitted.
• PEFC ST 2002:2020, Chain of Custody of Forest and Tree Based Products – Requirements. A PEFC claim is the declaration on the sales or delivery document. The document includes that claim and the supplier’s certificate number. Trademark use is a separate requirement. No sample code was submitted.
• PEFC Find Certified. PEFC’s public database for PEFC-certified organisations. No sample code was submitted.
• Timber Procurement Policy (TPP): prove legality and sustainability, Defra, last updated 26 November 2025. Category A evidence and the broken-chain limit, for government procurers and their suppliers.